Together we can make a difference in peoples lives, sharing the help, healing and hope of Jesus Christ!

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There will be no MCBA Church Camp this Summer

However, Churches can be reimbursed $25 per camper by MCBA

for any camper that actually attended camp

(STATE CAMPS ONLY).

Turn in a list after camp to MCBA of who actually

attended and a check will be mailed to you.

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MCBA Golf Tournament has been rescheduled

to Sept. 21, 2019 (8:30 am) at Osceola Country Club

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Smoked Marijuana is Not Medicine – It’s Bogus

Yesterday at the state capitol, the sponsors of one of the medical marijuana initiatives turned in petitions with reportedly enough signatures of registered voters to qualify for the general election ballot in November. Right on the heels of that development, I participated in a press conference in which I and the leader of Family Council announced our opposition to the measure and highlighted some of the reasons for that. Below, is the essence of the statement I gave at the press conference.

Smoked marijuana is not legitimate medicine. Modifying “marijuana” with the word “medical” does not make it a bona fide pharmaceutic. How about “medical cocaine” or “medical LSD”? Using the words “medical” and “methamphetamine” in tandem does not transform that harmful drug into a substance that has helpful, medical application.

If there are some valid medical applications for THC and cannibidiol, the active ingredients in marijuana (and doubt still exists about that claim), there are more efficacious and safer ways than smoking marijuana to medically deliver them. Those means of delivering THC have and continue to be developed.

Can chronic pain be masked or blocked by smoking marijuana? Perhaps it can. However, the pain might also be blocked and masked by intravenous shots of heroin, by drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication, or by injecting, snorting, or ingesting any number of other drugs. The fact that pain can be managed by a substance does not for that reason alone cause that drug to morph into a legitimate pharmaceutic.

It is important to note that the FDA has approved no medications that are smoked. There are a number of reasons for this. Smoking is a generally poor way to deliver a pharmaceutic; it is impossible to safely deliver precise dosages. Also, the harmful chemicals and carcinogens that are byproducts of smoking create a whole other set of health problems – especially for long-term use.

Take morphine for example. It has proven to be valuable as an effective drug. However, the FDA has not approved the smoking of opium or heroin. By using the scientific method, active ingredients have been extracted from opium and developed into effective medicines – codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone – in addition to morphine.

Medical science found a better way with opium, and it has and continues to do so with marijuana. In a Journal of the American Medical Association article last year, two Yale University psychiatrists stated that legalization of medical marijuana was based on inadequate and poor-quality studies, relying too much on anecdotal evidence in the form of patients’ accounts or other nonscientific evidence. They opined that the rush to approve medical marijuana got ahead of the research that should have been conducted first.

The above only scratches the surface of the mountain of evidence that presents a devastating case against so-called “medical marijuana.” You’ll be hearing much from us on that during the course of the campaign to defeat the pot initiative. Stay tuned and watch your inbox.

To everyone, thanks for allowing us to serve you. And to those who support us with your prayers and financial gifts, we are appreciative that you have chosen to partner with us - our gratitude for you runs deep.

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THESE STATISTICS WERE

TAKEN FROM THE ARKANSAS

FAITH AND ETHICS

NEWSLETTER

AND ARE STAGGERING (PLEASE READ)

Seventy million or so Americans are using (often illegally, inappropriately, or unnecessarily) mind-altering drugs. Nearly 50 million of those take prescription psychiatric drugs - some pursuant to a valid doctor's prescription - but others obtained and used "non-medically" (without a prescription from a doctor). When the additional 58 million who abuse alcohol is included, there are about 130 million Americans who are dependent to some extent or other on drugs.

Are Baptist associations still important today?

Originally Published in Arkansas Baptist News

Associations have had a tremendous impact upon

Baptist life for more than 300 years. Through them,

regional churches meet for partnership and fellowship.

Associations enable local churches to encourage and assist

one another in reaching their region for Christ. The heart

of associational work has always been missions, whether

it is local, state, national or global.

The association is a lifeline for small and rural churches.

It allows them to participate in programs that they could

not do alone. The association is a repository for materials

and equipment that member churches can use.

It provides educational opportunities for pastors and

lay leaders. It enables children to attend Christian camps,

and it networks with area churches for various programs

(vacation Bible school, evangelism, etc.) It facilitates

partnerships for national and international mission trips.

The director of missions (DOM) or associational missionary

is a vital link between the member churches of the association.

He has a multifaceted task. He encourages pastors and

church leaders in their ministry. He facilitates churches by

providing statistics for churches and the state convention.

He trains ministers and lay people in their tasks. He promotes

a wide range of mission opportunities. He serves

as an example of what a Christian leader should be.

Modern times have not always been kind to the association.

Many churches find the association irrelevant. Mobility

and electronics have moved churches from interdependene

to independence. At times, it is easier to contact a specialist

than to find the DOM. These changes may have affected the

association, but its mission remains the same: partnership

and fellowship.

Though times have changed, the association can still be an

important and vital part of Baptist life. It is up to the member

churches to decide how important and vital it is.

FOR THE SON OF MAN CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THE LOST

LUKE 19:10

PRAYERWALKING March 1 - April 10

GOSPEL DISTRIBUTION April 11-23rd

EVANGELISTIC EASTER SERVICE - April 24th

ACROSS ARKANSAS FOLLOW UP April 25-May 22nd

Plastic door hanger bag - $1.20 per 100 (1.2 cents each from associational office or order from NAMB (available at Evangelism Rally-call order in will have ready)

"Find it Here" brochure - $6.00 per 100 (6 cents each from associational office (HCSB) or order from NAMB for KJV Brochures orders will have to be placed with NAMB